


The Maker's Touch

by CityEscape4



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II
Genre: F/M, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-04
Updated: 2018-11-04
Packaged: 2019-08-04 18:54:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16352273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CityEscape4/pseuds/CityEscape4
Summary: A cold cup of water on a hot summer's day brings Fenris to draw a startling realization.





	The Maker's Touch

Being a father was once something that would have never crossed Fenris's mind. 

Having been one now for nearly 7 years, he honestly couldn't imagine not being one any longer. He and Hawke had a single child together, born to them nearly 7 winters ago, a young girl they named after Hawke's late mother. It had been difficult adjusting at first, unlike Hawke, who'd taken a shine to motherhood with a bright smile plastered on her face all the while, but Fenris eventually eased into it, and found himself wrapped around the girl's finger.

On this particular summer day, Hawke had left the estate to help Aveline whip her guardsmen into shape, a particular favorite bonding activity the two women tended to do together, leaving Fenris and Leandra at home with Orana, Bodhain, and Sandal. 

He and Leandra had been in the library area of the estate; each reading a different book, when Fenris got up from his spot, startling Leandra. "Papa?"

"I'm getting something to drink." He said, taking his book with him. "It's rather hot today, don't you think?"

Leandra got up as well and followed him, a small hum escaping her at his question. "Not really, Papa."

Fenris merely responded with a 'hmph', walking towards the kitchen with his 6 year old daughter close behind him. They were greeted by Orana, who was busy beginning to prepare for dinner, and Fenris got himself a glass of water, taking a drink and then sharing with Leandra.

After she drank, Leandra frowned. "Papa, don't you wish the water was cooler?"

"It's fine." Fenris said. "It's to be expected of this hotter season. We'll get cooler water when the winter comes." Leandra frowned still, and Fenris couldn't help but mentally compare her to Hawke whenever she was upset about something. "I thought you said you weren't really hot moments ago. Does the water bother you that much?"

"No Papa," Shaking her head, Leandra settled her gaze on the cup. "But you said you were hot. I thought you would want colder water."

He watched as Leandra's gaze was fixed on his cup, her brown eyes darting to her hands, then up to glance at him, the two white-haired elves locking gazes. "Do you want some more water?" Fenris asked, tilting the cup towards her somewhat.

Leandra shook her head again, and Fenris arched a brow, but accepted her answer, putting the cup down and turning back to the book he'd been reading, reading a few pages before reaching back to take another sip of his water. 

As he reached to grab his cup, it took him a brief second to realize the cup _shouldn't_ have been as cool at it was. While the sensation was pleasant - especially in this hotter weather - there was absolutely no reason his water should have felt like it was pulled from the winter season, and it _definitely_ shouldn't have had tiny, nearly undetectable bits of frost around the edge.

Fenris jerked his hand away from the cup, causing Orana to startle. "Messere?"

Fenris opened his mouth to speak, but closed it quickly, not knowing exactly what to say. _Orana did you freeze my water_ wouldn't exactly have made much sense seeing as the young woman wasn't exactly a mage. 

It was then that he realized his daughter was no longer present, having scuttled off without a sound. "Did you see where Leandra went?"

Orana blinked and looked to where the half-elf had previously been, only to pout slightly. "No, I'm afraid I didn't."

Frowning, Fenris left his cup and book, and went to the main foyer, spotting Bodhain and Sandal. "Have either of you seen Leandra?"

"Why yes!" Bodhain exclaimed cheerfully, smiling with bright rosy cheeks. "The young missus ran up into her room just now! Quite speedily, if I may add."

Sandal clapped as he nodded in agreement, then looked to Leandra's room, smiling as well. "Enchantment."

Fenris nodded his thanks at Bodhain, and headed up to Leandra's room, which was once Hawke's mother's room.

When he found her, she was crouched on the side of her bed, in a way that would have hid her if no one had been searching for her. Fenris opened his mouth to speak, but found himself speechless when he saw just what Leandra was doing.

She was rubbing her hands together, blowing on them like she was cold and trying to warm herself. When she stopped, she held out a hand and frowned as a little blue orb of light gathered in her palm, and bits of frost circled it.

Fenris's olive eyes widened at the sight: his daughter, _using magic_. _**Venhedis.**_ For one who didn't fully believe in the Maker, the first thought that Fenris was able to properly comprehend was that the Maker had a messed up sense of humor.

Maker's Breath, their daughter was a mage.

Did Hawke know? Did anyone? Had they been hiding it from him in fear of his response?

How _did_ he even feel about it? It might have been years ago, but he'd never really hidden his disdain for magic, moreso for what it did to people, not for magic itself.

Was their daughter strong enough? 

What if she ended up like that boy, Feynriel? Taunted by demons in her sleep? Fenris had always thought he'd never step foot in the fade again, after falling to a demon's temptation when Hawke took him with her to save the boy. But for Leandra? He would not hesitate.

For a moment, he questioned how this was even possible - neither he nor Hawke were mages. But that line of reasoning quickly left him. After all, Hawke's father and sister were mages, and on top of that, Varania - for as little as Fenris remembered and truly knew about her - was also a mage. Mage blood was present in their families; It made sense - like it or not - that there while its effect ran dormant in both him and Hawke, there would have been the chance that it would strengthen and manifest in any child they'd had.

With a deep inhale to calm himself. Fenris finally spoke. "Leandra."

Leandra gasped and jumped slightly, scooting back with a fearful look on her face. Fenris couldn't help but feel a tug of guilt at that, part of him wondering if he had instilled this fear in her. Neither said anything,the only sound in the room being the light hum of magic in Leandra's hands.

"...Don't tell Mama."

Fenris blinked at that. There was a quiver in her voice that further tugged at him, but he kept a stoic front, moving to kneel down next to her.

"Does your mother not know about this?"

Leandra shook her head, her gaze not meeting Fenris's. "N-No..." She gently clapped her hands together and the magic disappeared as she separated her hands. "No one knew, but now you do." There was a moment of silence between them, Fenris not really knowing what to say. Leandra spoke again however, brown eyes filled with tears. "Please don't send me away, Papa. I promise I'll be good."

A surge of something Fenris couldn't quite describe - something akin to protectiveness, if he absolutely had to try and word it - rushed through him at his daughter's words. Send her away? What was she-- oh. The Circle.

For so long he'd lauded the Circle for its control of the Mages, until Knight-Commander Meredith had lost her mind and he stood by Hawke's side, by the mages' side, fighting against her. Hawke had always voiced her disdain for the Circle, rarely - if ever - telling escaped mages to go back to it. She'd helped her sister avoid the Circle all her life, up until Bethany was recruited by the Gray Wardens during their escape of the Deep Roads. 

Fenris... didn't want Leandra to go.

He _refused_ to let her go.

"We won't send you to the Circle, Leandra." Fenris assured her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You're staying with us." And that was final. He knew already Hawke would feel the same way. "You need to tell your mother about this, though."

Leandra sniffled, and went in to hug Fenris, nodding at her father's words. "Yes, Papa."

Fenris winced at the sudden tight contact, but he disregarded the slight pain, wrapping his arms around her in return, comforting her. He could feel Leandra trembling against him, and before he could voice his concern, she looked up at him and spoke. "Can you be with me when I tell Mama?"

Rubbing a hand against her back, Fenris's expression softened. "Of course."

* * *

When Hawke returned from her work with Aveline, she was welcomed as usual by Bodahn and Sandal, as well as her aging Mabari Damon, but when she came to Orana, she noticed something off about the elven worker. "Orana? Is everything alright?"

Orana curtsied and fidgeted with the hem of her sleeve. "Messere, Ser Fenris and young Leandra await you in the master bedroom."

Hawke blinked,through nodded, thanking Orana for the information, and headed upstairs to hers and Fenris's room. She found the two sitting in a chair - Leandra in Fenris's lap - in front of the unlit fireplace, reading with one another, father and daughter trading off pages. She found scene endearing, and if it wasn't for the lingering question of what was the matter, she would have left them be. "I'm home."

Hawke felt the mood tense then, Leandra looking nervous as she looked between her two parents, her eyes tearing up as she looked to her father. Fenris gave her a solemn nod, placing a hand on her shoulder, and Leandra got up from his lap, walking to stand before her mother. She then cupped her hands together, and a small ball of blue light formed above her hands.

Hawke's brown eyes widened, and all she could find herself saying was, "Oh." _Maker's breath._

* * *

After a long, extensive talk, as well as several shed tears from daughter and mother alike, the trio found themselves still together in the master bedroom, Leandra asleep in her mother's arms, exhaustion having overcome the young girl - both from emotional exertion and from low mana. She was curled up against her mother, Hawke sitting on the bed and holding her close as the young girl slept; Fenris standing by the unlit fireplace.

"We should have considered this." Hawke murmured. "Father and Bethany were both mages, it runs in my family."

"Yours and mine both, Hawke." Fenris replied, his tone calm and even. "Varania was in training to be a magister, last we saw her."

"How do you feel about this?" Fenris turned to look at Hawke then, arching a brow at her question. They both knew the weight behind it, how heavy of a question it truly was. He didn't answer her immediately, frowning as he looked anywhere but Hawke.

"I worry for her, of course. But she's strong. She will know better than to give into temptation."

"And how will she learn this?" Hawke asked. "Ideally, I'd want Bethany to teach her how to control her magic, but she's a Gray Warden, we can't just write her to take a vacation and come down for a season. Merrill would be a viable choice, but--" The glare earned from Fenris then could be felt on her without even looking at him. "Right, right, we don't want her learning to deal with demons. Which technically would have ruled out Anders if he were alive, unless you considered Justice a friendly--."

"The Abomination is dead," Fenris cut her off, vitriol in his voice at the mention of Anders. "leave him in the past." Hawke had ended him after his stunt blowing up the Chantry all those years ago, there was no need to bring him up now.

Hawke swallowed then. "... That leaves the Circle." Hawke already knew her own answer, she would keep her daughter out of the Circle no matter the costs. But Fenris's decision was somewhat a mystery to her. They both loved their daughter, but she feared Fenris might see the Circle as more good than harm, even if it meant costing them seeing their daughter ever again. "Well, Fenris?" Hawke had heard enough from mages in the past she'd helped escape the Circle; stripped of their titles, ripped from the families with the exception of measly letters. "What do you want to do?" She found herself anxious of her partner's answer, but wanted it nonetheless, to see where he stood.

There was a silence that settled among them, Hawke gently rocking their daughter in her arms as she slept. "Avani." Fenris's voice was curt, using Hawke's first name as opposed to her family name. "She stays. No matter what."

Hawke couldn't have agreed more.


End file.
